Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Soda Linked to Heart Disease

According to a new study, as little as one soda a day may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and, in turn, heart disease. I say it's yet another reason to drink freshly-brewed, unsweetened tea. :) If you're making the change from soda to tea, start with flavored teas (preferably naturally-flavored). Popular flavors include jasmine, rose, fruit, and masala chai/spice. You could also drink tea with a squeeze of lemon (adding a slice to your cup may decrease your chances of skin cancer) or (though less conventional) a splash of orange juice. (OJ is great for beginner matcha drinkers, especially if the matcha is a lower grade.) Something I sometimes add to more elaborate tea-based drinks is a ginger decoction I make by boiling sliced, peeled ginger root in a small amount of water for 10 minutes. It works very well with stronger black teas.

If you don't want to brew the tea yourself, there are some decent bottled teas on the market. Indicators of a good bottled tea are low-to-no sugar content and something on the packaging about how it's made. You want tea that is made with leaves, not from dust and certainly not from concentrate. See my previous post on the World Tea Expo's top bottled tea picks for a few good choices from what's out there.

If you're just starting to drink tea, you might also find my article on tea basics helpful. Enjoy!